Thomas Hal Phillips was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 actor

Actor

An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...

 and screenwriter

Screenwriter

Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...

.

Biography

Born in Corinth, Mississippi

Corinth, Mississippi

Corinth is a city in Alcorn County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 14,054 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Alcorn County. Its ZIP codes are 38834 and 38835.- History :...

, he graduated with a bachelor of science

Bachelor of Science

A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...

 degree from Mississippi State College in 1943. He served in the United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

 during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. He earned a master's degree

Master's degree

A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...

 in writing at University of Alabama

University of Alabama

The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....

 in 1948. He then taught at Southern Methodist University

Southern Methodist University

Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...

 and wrote books, resigning to assist his brother's unsuccessful bid for Mississippi governor.

Phillips was one of the first published gay authors in the United States. His novel The Bitterweed Path was a best seller in its first edition from Penguin Press. The Bitterweed Path depicts the struggles of two gay men in the Southern United States

Southern United States

The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...

 at the turn of the century.

After returning to the US from service in France in World War II, where he was stationed and fought, he began a successful career in Hollywood. His screenplay career continued through the 1950s, '60s, and early '70s. He died in Kossuth, Mississippi

Kossuth, Mississippi

Kossuth is a village in Alcorn County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 170 at the 2000 census. Its zip code is 38834.-History:...

.

Books

• The Loved and the Unloved
• The Golden Lie
• Search for a Hero
• The Bitterweed Path
• Kangaroo Hollow
• Red Midnight

Movies

• Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
• Walking Tall II
• O. C. and Stiggs
• Ode to Billy Joe
• Tarzan's Fight for Life
• Huckleberry Finn
• The Brain Machine
• Minstrel Man
• Nightmare in Badham County
• Nashville

External links

• http://www.mswritersandmusicians.com/writers/thomas-phillips.html
• Thomas Hal Phillips biography
• Thomas Hal Phillips biography